Volume I: The Explorers is a "who was who" of world explorers, while Volume II: Places, Technologies, and Cultural Trends covers other significant aspects of the history of exploration. The thematic organization of the volumes allows readers to access biographical profiles of important explorers in one volume, while referring to the second volume for entries on topics such as cartography, circumnavigation, navigation, shipbuilding, missionaries, the slave trade, the Vikings, women explorers, and the fur trade. This definitive reference to explorers and exploration features thorough coverage and a wide scope, making it an informative, fascinating resource suitable for students, researchers, and general readers. Volume I; Volume I: The Explorers focuses on the explorers, giving readers a sense of the human drama - the achievements and the challenges - that those who go where few or none have gone before must face. New entries include: Jacques Cousteau; Sir Vivian Fuchs; John Glenn, Jr.; Aleksei Leonov; Annie Peck; Valentina Tereshkova; And many more.;
Volume II; Volume II: Places, Technologies, and Cultural Trends covers the technical, social, cultural, and geographical elements of world exploration. This volume's detailed, A-to-Z entries emphasize the many elements that have often determined the success or failure of a given mission.


